Pink and blue at NURSERY

[creepymumweirdo]

WTF? Am I being thick/twattish here but why the hell would nursery do this?

They're thinking of having polo shirts for the kids so parents don't get upset if their kids clothes get messy (send your kid in scruffy clothes? Another issue). They have suggested pink polo shirts for girls and blue for boys.

Surely we're all trying to help kids break out of gender stereotypes not reinforce them? At 1 year old!

Some girls might genuinely like pink (I'm not one of them) and boys blue but why differentiate at all? Just pick a nice neutral colour that washes well and have done.

I've got my propper outraged face on right now. A rare thing.

AIBU?

Where have u said anyone should be ashamed or afraid of being female?
What you describe is being proud of being an adult woman, but I still don't get what exactly you mean with regard to your children.
I don't hate men but I don't need to activate on their behalf, nor do I see ehy women should. You are the one who raises a men's rights issue - what had that got to do with women? They have their own battles to fight with regard to clothing in the workplace (are you obliged to wear heels and make-up?).
I don't hate men, can you quote what I've said that suggests that?

I have already said and written more than I wanted to, and replied as well as I could. It's a shame no one can disagree with some posters without being accused of wanted to fight, no I don't, but I am started to see comments like

There's something quite pathetic about them.

by others who clearly do want a fight and I can't be bothered. I just disagree about the victim image, and the need to keep everything "gender neutral" and make boys, or girls, ashamed of their gender. Having boys and girls at school is a positive thing in my view.

We have equality because we have a queen!

Who got to be queen because she didn't have any older brothers.

And two female prime ministers ever.

here we go, it has to be men vs women, you do realise that the war is in your own head?

But you're the one saying it's so important to differentiate on the basis of sex. Why not on race then? Why just pick on one particular characteristic?

But nobody's said that everything needs to be "gender neutral", and nobody's said that boys or girls need to be "ashamed" of their gender. People have replied to you quite a lot about just why gender segregation is bad for children. Since you aren't responding to what people are actually saying, but are responding angrily and at length about exaggerated positions people haven't actually said, it doesn't exactly come across like you're interested in genuine discussion.

It's not making boys ashamed to be boys or girls ashamed to be girls though. That is the point we are all making! It is eliminating the need to recognise it as a differential at such a young age. If a boy chooses to wear the pink shirt or vice versa then noone should give a fuck. That is what a lot of us are "fighting" for on this thread.

And yet again you have used words like shame and pride around gender. Gender isn't something to have shame or pride around. You're just born like it and it is what it is!

And we all know that Theresa May and female ministers have to wear pink all day, while all the male ministers wear blue!

Oh wait...

Coddi

Nobody is making children ashamed of their gender. Gender does not really exist. We have sex, biological sexes, and that is all. Sex does not connote anything about your hobbies/interests etc, so to say girls should wear pink and boys should weae blue is just forcing socially-contructed ideas about what men and women should be onto them.

In fact, it's Trans-Rights Activitsts who are shaming kids for their "gender" (sex). Little boys thinking they have a 'girl brain' because society can't accept that boys can like makeup and dresses too, and that liking makeup and dresses does not mean you have a 'girl brain' or are a girl. It reduces manhood and womanhood to stereotypes. THAT is shaming.

Coddi
You are pointedly ignoring what people are saying. That shows you are not interested in a discussion of the actual issue here.

You don't get to chose what sex you are born with. It's not an accomplishment. You try to be the best person you can be regardless of sex
Imposing a specific colour which denotes a boy or a girl is ridiculous. I never wore pink as a child but I still knew I was a girl. A tree climbing, gun toting, guddling about in burns getting mucky girl. 😀 I also played with dolls. I didn't need someone to categorise me by colour.

Inflicting stereotypes on kids at nursery is unnecessary they will decide for themselves what to play with, what colours they like, and should be getting the confidence to be whoever they want to be. Not put in a 'blue box' or a 'pink box". What purpose does it serve but to emphasise girls should be 'girly' and boys should be 'boyish'.

Re your last para, coddi, no-one is saying any of those things. That's in your head.

And yes, 2 female PMs and a female monarch who is only there because she didn't have any brothers is hardly saying 'yay, women, our work is done'.

Coddiwomple I genuinely think you have not got the point. For me this is not a feminist point really, its nothing to do with being a woman or how you dress now. Well, not obviously, although there are deeper issues. The main problem is that, pink and blue are NOT natural preferences for girls and boys, they are cultural expectations. There will be a lot of boys and girls growing up, who for whatever reason, do not and won't conform to societal expectations of what girls do and what boys do. You are one of those children, working in a non traditional role. Why pigeon hole our babies, in such a narrow way. My children are all growing up free to be the sort of women and men THEY like to be, not what I think they should be. It's freeing.

What purpose does it serve but to emphasise girls should be 'girly' and boys should be 'boyish'.

Yes, I would like to see the answer to that, too.

Those who are in favour of it: What purpose do you think it serves?

In other words if you have to teach a child gender norms they're clearly not natural and nothing to be proud of.

Thank goodness DD's nursery doesn't have uniform as this would probably be very popular where I live. It would really piss me off too.

Today DD has gone in wearing a blue T-shirt with a big picture of a chicken on from the boys range of clothing. In her bag as a spare is a green Tshirt with a big cow on it also from the boys range. Her socks are "boys' " ones too in bright primary colours. They are all passed down from DS. Boys' sandals are more robust too so she sometimes wears those. I wonder if we are looked on as the 'poor' family as the nursery staff think we can't afford to buy new 'girls' clothes. DD loves animals and bright colours and has no preference for gender specific clothing of either gender.

Last week, I heard a Mum telling another Mum that her 3 yo DD had wet herself and had run out of spare clothes so "the nursery had dressed her in boys shorts FFS and I had to take her with me on the school run afterwards wearing them." Oh the shame...

nursery had dressed her in boys shorts FFS
I have a DS and DD. At the moment they are actually sharing the shorts drawer, as DS is older but slimmer and they fit into the same size. I don't really know if most of the shorts are originally for boys or girls, they seem to fit both and so far nothing bad has happened to either of the kids.

YANBU. I'd be complaining my head off about this (and about having any uniform at 1yo FFS).

What even are boys' shorts at that age? Do they say "I HAVE A PENIS' in camouflage green lettering?

No they are larger, especially longer, hence actually covering a nappy.

Well it would've helped my DS when he was at nursery. His best friend was a little boy called Libet so he said. Libet loved to wear an army type jumper as did DS. Months later I found out Libet was a short haired girl called Elizabeth.

Talk to the men wearing a suit shoes and socks for work in the recent heat wave while we can stroll around with bare legs and a tshirt.

Do you think that might have anything to do with people like you insisting on enforcing gendered clothing coddi?

I'm all for men in skirts and t-shirts if they can perform their job just as well in them.

I have not got time to catchup. However I stand by what I say that the blue/pink thing is not going to harm our children. What would harm them is to perhaps put this across forcefully as they become more aware. We are the parents it is up to us to ensure our children are happy and raised to be who they want to be. Pink for girls and blue for boys does not dictate this. I have DSD too and one of them likes pink, one likes blue and the other doesn't mind. The one that likes blue still enjoys wearing pink etc.

Anyway no time, but I think a big deal is being made for no reason.

I am also proud to be female and I don't have to be into a specific colour to express my femininity. But I do not think there is any harm in pink for girls, blue for boys etc.

It also doesn't mean that I won't dress my DD in blue or any other colour. But I like pink, it suits her and her room is pink. She also loves dollys and cars for what it's worth.

The attitude of it being a problem will cause a problem.

Can someone please explain what trauma it has caused anyone ??

Oh and to the poster who said I was stupid or a troll - not either thank you.

Am I bad mother because I'd prefer fewer pockets for all children? I'm sick of finding stones and other "treasure" in the washing machine...

I don't really know if most of the shorts are originally for boys or girls, they seem to fit both and so far nothing bad has happened to either of the kids.

And what bad could happen? Your daughter is not going to spontaneously grow a penis from wearing boy shorts. And if your son noticed that his penis doesn't fit into the girl shorts, he'd say something about it.

Well it would've helped my DS when he was at nursery. His best friend was a little boy called Libet so he said. Libet loved to wear an army type jumper as did DS. Months later I found out Libet was a short haired girl called Elizabeth.

So he would never have talked to his best friend because she'd have been brandmarked as girl with a pink shirt. You think that would have been good for him? Missing out on having a best friend?
And if you say they would have been best friends anyway, then his ignorance of her sex didn't do any harm, now, did it?

Can someone please explain what trauma it has caused anyone ?

Two words: Puberty blockers.

THAT is the harm it does. And it is quite severe harm indeed.

Children who do not conform to gender stereotypes - of which pink and blue are symbols - are being transed, their healthy bodies poisoned with puberty blockers, then surgically altered, and sterilized, all so that gender stereotopes are conformed to.

Again, what is the PURPOSE of forcing gender on children? What GOOD does it do?
Certainly no good to the children.

working I did respond to your post on page 6. If you've got time to post you can go back the two pages to where you originally posted to see replies?